Dispensing and packaging device for fluids



July 8, 1941. M, c SCHWABY 2,248,127

DISPENSING AND PACKAGING DEVICE FOR FLUIDS Original Filed Jan. 11, 1936 Patented July 8, 1941 2348,1271]: l DISPENSING ANnPAcKAGmG'n-EvIcEForty, Y i 1 Martin Schwab, C hicago, Kin. V originalapplicationJanuary 1 1, 1 936, Serial N0;

1939, Serial N0.'268,904

58,649: 'Dividedand this, application: April 20,11 l T i f 1 ciainif (c1. 12 214) This invention relates to liquid dispensing .-apshowing-of 'thehairbubbleseand liquid; level are,

paratus of the general character: referred to in' my patents numbered 2,010,417, granted August 6,

1935,' and 2,065,829, granted'Dec'ember 29, 1936,

and is directed to certainimprovements thereover. The present applicationiis .a division of my copehding application Serial No. 58,649, filed January 11, 1936. This inventionis particularly directed to the provision of liquid dispensing apparatus :ha'ving certain advantagesover my aforementioned patents in that the dispensing assembly and container may be merchandizedasa unitaryassembly, requiring'the minimum 'amount'of handling to put the same to use. i r t In my patents aforementioned, the dispensing apparatus and container for the liquid comprise, in general, separately attachable units which may be interchangeably used. In my presehtzi'nvention, I contemplate including the dispensing Japparatus more or less'as'pa'rt of the container, which may be centrally assembledand distributed, wherever desired. 1.

Other objects of my invention,: including features embodied in my patents, reside in the as-' P sociation with containersfordispensing liquids, particularly liquids'for dispensing subcutaneous, intravenous injections,"of compact'dispensing assemblies more or less formingtpart of the con-v tainer, yet providing,.in a simple and economical manner, the certainty :and se'curity :ofaction of the more costly dispensing-"elements inmy .prior applications. 1.

Such objects and advantages :in-herentin my construction will become apparent and will be more clearly pointed out as this description proceeds, and for this purposel refer'to the accompa'nying drawing, forminga part :hereof; in which: 1

Figure 1 is a longitudinalsectional View ofan embodiment of my invention, in which a unitary air filter and fluid conducting assembly may be associated with the sealing'scap of the container; Figure 2 is a section takencn'the"line 2-- 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on :theline' Figure 1; i

Figure 413 a sectiontakenomthe line 4-4 of Figure '1.

Referring to the drawing, the liquid dispensing device comprises a container C'having a bottom I 9a, in a form to provide a merchandising package'of completely sealed-fluid; (The container C is shown'in its uprightpo'sition'in Fig.1, as

in the parent application, although the schematic .4

for the-inverted position.) 1 Thecontainer' C has the usualbottle-like body 5, a neck 6, whichmay be proyided with a conventional external screw threaded'portion, L300 which may be appl ed a screw cap 1a, forsealing the same. The screw cap la is-providedwith a centrallylocated orifice lb, through which abortion of the air filter and fluid duct and tubeE assembly'proj ects.

In this construction an insert .'n the form of a plug or-stopper'8 is inserted and limitedfor projection'into theinterior of the1neck fi byt tapering somewhat,--so-that it may be readily, removed without :any special instrumentalities.

, This insert-'servesto support-the airfilter and fluid duct and tube assembly in which}! is the fiuidduct terminating outwardly-in an opfining Ill and .is preferably-formed with a beaded-portion. The innertportion of the fluid ducts-terminatesat-the in-teriorcf the container-inanopening H. i A-partition' l2; secured to the tube I! at; an, intermediate point, :and a neck l3 define the .airzfilter compartment l4;-to which air may be conducted-through; the orifice 15 in thetube l 1'- open .to' theatmosphere, through the elongated air; passage [6 within the tube T l I, coaxial with andsurrounding the fluid duct 9,-previously mentioned," The air ;tube' I1 is i preferably frictionally held within the insert: 8 in an orifice centrally'formed therein. -.-Where the ducts-or tubes;9 and lifi are madeuof :glass and the; stopper -,8 of rubber, frictionaleengagement betweenthese members will be -found sufficient. It willy-be understood; howr-, that .thezp t ma -the of :mstab a t such as "Bakelite,- hard rubber; glass, asmay-be deemed expedient.

I-twill be seen thattheair duct-ortube; lii has its lowermost end -I8 considerably nearer. the

bottom: I9 of the. container/than is the-entrance H of the fluid-duct-IB; I r

The innermost'portion-ofthe tube I1 is closed, and, issealed at its approximate medial portion into the partition I2. Centrallycf-the air passage iii-there is providedrran inwardly directed tube d9 whichqhaseits exit portion-laterally;, extended into aside wall-ofthe air tube I'I forming the opening;2fl,through which-the air may escape through: any. liquid within the compartment l4 when the assemblyis inverted; The air 'then escapesthrough the-neckl3 ancLits extension I8.

With theconstruction thus "provided, the entire assembly may beslipped into;the.--neck of the bottlegafter first .filling the container C with the .fiuidto be g dispensed, or the filling; operation-may be conducted through the tube 9 by forced filling operations as described in my parent application. When sterile fluids are to be dispensed, it will be understood that the stopper 8 and the assembly carried thereby are to be thoroughly cleansed and sterilized before they are inserted in the neck of the container. I

It will be understood that the opening III of the fluid duct 9 is provided with a closure tip 24 for sealing the contents of the container. When ready for use, the cap Ia is removed by unscrewing and the tip in the opening I likewise removed. A dispensing tube, preferably provided with pinch means to prevent premature flow of liquid, is then inserted over the beaded end I0 of the fluid duct 9.

The container is preferably filled with fluid in its upright position, and the fluid level extends approximately to the foremost part of the neck of the bottle. It is thus apparent that a portion of the'fluid willseek its levelwithin the chamber I4 of the air filtering device. Upon inversion of the container preparatory to the dispensing operation, a portion of the fluid within the container I4 willenter-the smaller chamber I9,- where it is trapped, andwill serve to' subject the incoming air toa thorough scrubbing action within the narrow confines of this inner chamber. I

In operation, when the control means upon the dispensing tube adapted to be attached to the beaded opening I0 is released, the fluid within the container C will pass through the tube 9.. It is to be noted that the opening II into the tube I0 is spaced from the lower edge oil-the stopper 8, so that when thecontainerjis in its inverted, dispensing position, any inso'lublematter will separate out and-will not lead through the opening I I, and the space between the opening I I and the stopper acts as a sedimentation zone. a I A'co fstant flow and continuous accumulation of fluid to b'e dispensed will be assured by the admission of air through the air tube or air duct I5 passing upwardly (in'the inverted position of the container) throughelongatedpassage I6, downwardly through the narrow chamber I9 and the washing fluid contained-therein, and will bubble-upwardly through the washing fluid in the chamber I4 past the orifice I8 to the interior of the container. -Thus it will be observed that, as the fluid leaves the duct'9, air" enters into the space at the bottom of the bottle displaced by the fluid after-it has been subjected to a thorough scrubbing action-in passing through a circuitous pathin theair washing assembly wherein any dust particles, -lint or other impurities will be removed by the washing action of the fluid trapped therein.v I

It will beunderstood that in the operation of the device, the inversion of the container and the dispensing of the fluid leaves an area of reduced pressure within the container in the vicinity of the bottom I 9a. Accordingly, the normal atmospheric pressure at the orifice I5 is greater than the pressures within the elongated air'passage I6. As soon as the pinch-means for the dispensing 7 tube is released to permit the flow of liquid from the container, the air coming in through the air inlet I5 enters at aconstant rate and substantially prevents the'liquid within the passage I6 from'fl'owing out. The retention of the portion -of liquid within the passage I6 is further aided by two well-known phenomena. The inlet I6 is relatively" small in diameter and, therefore, the phenomena of skin resistance of materials, such as ass, and the surfacetensio n of liquids further aid in keeping the liquid within the passage I6. However, it is to'be understood that most of the washing effect of the incoming air will be ob tained within the chamber I9 and the chamber I4.

By providing a container and dispensing assemblyof clear glass,.the operation of the dispensing device may be observed, and the bubbling and washing action of the air as it passes through the assembly may be seen and the rate of flow and its regularity may be ascertained from the nature and character of the bubbles passing through the liquid within the chamber I4.

It will further be observed that by direct separation of the fluid in the dispensing assembly comprising the chambers I4, I9 and the air passage I6 from the interior of the container C, no contamination can occur of the fluid to be dispensed.

This form of construction will serve to retain the air filter compartments I4 and I9 filled with liquid, and the relationshipbetwe-en the orifice 20 and the tube I9 is such that the air cannot displace the liquid within the compartments but is given the opportunity for expansion, in the case of temperaturechanges, without causing the liquid within the compartment, I4! to reenter the main portion of the container C, and without contaminating the, liquid to be dispensed. The 7 construction further provides an air filter and fluid duct assembly which need not be permanently assembled'withthe container but may be associated therewith when necessary for use,

the cap la also serving as a means to retain the a gasket fully covering the neck 6 of the container C and held in this position by the cap Ia.

' A: single tip' or sealMishoWn in dotted lines) 'may serve to cover both the fluid outlet tube 9 and the 'airinlet orifice I5, after the container is filled with the fluid to be dispensed and beforeit is inverted, thus insuring. the retention of the assembly in a facilemanner. T

It will'be understood that the size of the fluid outlet I0 is related to the size of the air inlet I5 so that the rate of flow of liquid from the fluid duct will maintain a balancedcondition, preventing the'premature flow of fluid from the air passage I6 when the device is inverted. It will thus be observed that I have provided a liquid dispensing device which maybe merchandised as a complete assembly; with the fluids to be used, and any one desiring to dispense the fluid, for' a'ny purpose, need only be concerned with the sterilization of theconnecting tube and hypodermic for injection, the remainder of the assembly having been "previously sterilized and made in readiness at thecen'tralized bottling and assembling point.

While I have emphasized the novelty ofthe construction, for purposes in the field of medicine, it will be understood that this device has a wider field of utility, which will be readily understood by'those skilled in the art.

It will further'be observed that while I have described my assembly as having particular utility by reason of the fact that it provides a device which may dispense fluids without contamination by the materials carried by air, thus eflectively filtering the air which is necessary for displacing the fluid which is being dispensed, the air passage provided for displacing the liquid also serves as a vent for filling purposes when the container is being filled, with the air filtering and dispensing assembly in position. This air duct permits sterilization of the container and of the liquid after filling and permits discharge of any entrained air, and capping to effect a vacuum sealing of the thus sterilized container and contents.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a self-contained air filter and fluid dispensing assembly operable upon inversion and adapted to be inserted through the neck of a container housing liquid to be dispensed, an apertured member inserted in the neck of the container, an air conducting tube and a fluid discharge tube coaxially disposed and forming an integral stem for suspending the assembly from said member in the neck of said container, a fluid chamber within said container connected to said air conducting tube, a smaller air washing chamber within said fluid chamber, both of said chambers being adapted to trap portions of the liquid to be dispensed upon inversion of the container, said liquid portions serving as a washing fluid for incoming air, said air conducting tube, fluidxdischarge tube, fluid chamber and air Washing chamber forming a unitary integral assembly and providing a circuitous path for incoming air so that it receives a thorough wash before entering said container.

MARTIN C. SCHWAB. 

